Simulated soccer game apparatus



) 2 4 5 April 28, 1959 J. RlVERO-FERRO SIMULATED soccER GAME APPARATUS Filed April 25, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Jae/v 1 VERO Fae/2o M v r A'ITO R EYS April 28, 1959 J. RlVERO-FERRO SIMULATED SOCCER GAME APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 25, 1956 INVENTOR Jun/v IP/ vmo 4 F5220 ATTORNEYS APril 1959 4.1.RIVERO-FERRO 2 ,884,253

SIMULATED SOCCER GAME APPARATUS 3 Sheds-Sheet 3 Filed April 25, 1956 INVENTOR JUAW fi/VA-W Fakko ATTORNEYS United States 2,884,253 SIMULATED SOCCER GAME APPARATUS Juan Rivero-Ferro, Caracas, Venezuela Application April 25, 1956, Serial No. 580,545

2 Claims. (Cl. 273-85) The present invention relates to a game apparatus and mom particularly to a game apparatus simulating a socccr game.

An object of the present invention is to provide a game apparatus simulating a soccer game to be played by two opponents.

A further object is to provide a soccer game apparatus in which a ball is impelled by the movement of the articulated leg of a simulated soccer player.

Yet another object is to provide a simulated soccer game in which the ball is impelled by, simulated players each having an articulated leg controlled by an electric circuit.

A final object is to provide a soccer game in which the start of play after a goal has been made is dependent upon the will of both players of the game.

Other objects and many attendant advantages will become apparent from the following description and drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is an elevational view, partly in section, of a simulated player and the mechanism for moving the leg thereof;

Fig. 2 is a diagram of the circuit for moving the legactuating mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a circuit diagram of the invention; and

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the game apparatus, with a portion thereof broken away, and showing schematically the two teams of players, the goals, the goal keepers and the switches for operating the various circuits.

This invention resides in a game of football or soccer, the field of which is set on a doublebottomed table protected by a cover of plastic, glass, or any other transparent material; in this field are properly arranged two teams of eleven figures, or a total of twenty-two players including the goalkeepers, and a ball.

The figures are of metal and artistically simulate playcrs in showy uniforms and these by their gestures make a pleasant impression as real players do, actuated by one button serving to operate the circuit of each ten play-.

- ers and another button to throw the ball introduced in the goal back into the field. There are in all two buttons per team which actuate the entire mechanism.

The actual panel or field where the players act and the game takes place is a rectangular panel with twenty stencils in has-relief on the concave shafts of which the twenty metal players act and have a movable leg driven clectromechanically when the button which connects the electric current is pushed.

oalkeepers are the only figures which are not dnvcn electromechanically, but are moved manually in a conventional manner. Behind the goalkeeper is a cons p hich receives the ball that has been thrown F! the foot of an opposite player, and when a goal {5 made, this bull returns to the field to be brought back P y hen an electric button is pushed which makes contact with an electromagnet which moves an armature. hirl: drives the ball into the field.

Patented Apr. 28, 1959 The panel or field is arranged on concavities and inclined planes which by the 'difierent slopes always place the ball at the foot of a player of either team, giving rise to interesting moves, combinations and series until landing in a goal according to the skill of the persons who operate in the game.

On pushing the button of the corresponding field, the ten players of said team move the movable leg but only the player who has it at his foot drives the ball; the reason for this is that the electromagnets which move the armatures of each team are connected in series.

This system has the advantage of making the game much more interesting because the operator of the opposite team can handle the button of his ten players to intercept with the leg movements of the players of his team the ball directed from the opposite field.

As the figures placed in the grooves of the concavities of the panel receive the ball, they drive it forward by means of their movable leg. As only the shoe or foot of the player appears at the upper part, the figure kicks the ball.

The buttons with which the entire system is actuated are four in all: two for moving the teams of ten players and two for throwing the ball into the field again, after having made a goal.' Said buttons are solid and, on being pressed with the fingers, they allow the lightest or the heaviest pressure, this being very important for giving variety to the moves and combinations, depending on the practice and skill of the operator.

The table or piece of furniture is of wood, or it may be of any other material; it has a double bottom and is composed of three portions. On the middle portion are mounted all the electrical and mechanical devices which comprise twenty-two specially designed electromagnets.

The lower portion comprises the frame and the legs which support the entire weight, and the upper portion is the illuminated front of glass or other transparent material where the development of the game is watched objectively and where the buttons for operating the game are located.

The coin slot is of the universal well-known type and is used optionally to set the apparatus in operation, introducing a coin or chip which connects the lighting and the electric circuits.

The ball is of proportional size and of a plastic material. Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in Fig. 1 a simulated soccer player 10 having an articulated leg 11. Player 10 is typical, and is mounted on a game board 12 having undulations, as shown. Adjacent the foot of the articulated leg 11 of player 10 is a pocket to receive the ball 13. Extending downwardly from the articulated leg 11 of the player 10 through a slot in the game board 12 is an anvil 14 which has in juxtaposition therewith a solenoid comprising a coil 15 and an armature 16. A lever 17 is pivotallyattached at one end to the armature 16 and at the other to the underside of the game board 12, and has a spring 18 acting thereon, as shown.

In Fig. 2, there is shown a plug 19 adapted to be connected in a known manner to a source of electric current. A first circuit may be traced from plug 19 to the coil 15, and from coil 15 through the switch 22 to the contact arm 23 of coin-controlled clockwork 24. From a second contact arm 25, the circuit returns to the plug 19. It will be apparent that upon insertion of a coin, the clockwork 24 will be started, and that actuation of push button switch 22 will cause current to flow through coil 15, thus actuating armature 16 and causing it to strike anvil 14.

The primary of a transformer 26 has one lead connected to the circuit between plug 19 and coil 15, and the other to contact arm 23, the leads of the secondary being connected in series with a socket 27 holding a lamp 28 and with a pair of contact elements 29. Contact elements 29 extend through the game board 12 in front of the simulated player 10. When the ball 13 rests in a pocket, it completes the secondary circuit just described by contacting both of the contact elements 29, and causes lamp 28 to light.

Fig. 3 is a circuit diagram of the game apparatus.

Leads 31 and 32 may conveniently be connected to a source of current and connect with contacts 33 and 34 through fuses.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the game board 12 showing two teams of players 10, a goal A and a goal keeper a for each team, two push button switches 35 and 46 for controlling the circuits of the coils and armatures to operate the articulate legs 11 of the players 10 and push button switches 58 and 59 for controlling the circuits of the coils and armatures for ejecting the ball 13 ".from the goal A after a score has been made.

A first circuit is established from contact 33 to push button switch 35, thence through the ten coils 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44 and 45, mechanism 24, to contact 34. This circuit serves to actuate the coils under ten simulated players on one team. A second circuit is established from contact 33 to push button switch 46, thence through the ten coils 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53', 54, 55 and 56, mechanism 24, and back to contact 34. This circuit serves to actuate the coils under ten simulated players on the other team. A third circuit is established from contact 33 to conductor 57, through push button switch 58 or 59, coil 60 or 61, and thence to conductor 62 and through bell-ringing winding 63 to contact 34. The coils 60 and 61 each contains an armature, not shown, which eject ball 13 from the goal after a score is made, at the same time ringing a bell.

It will be understood that the circuit in Fig. 2 is a detail, with but one of the ten coils shown, and that coil 15 of Fig. 2 is representative of any one of the coils 36-45 or 47-56 of Fig. 3. Similarly, push button switch 22 of Fig. 2 may be either switch or 46 of Fig. 3. For simplicity, the secondary circuit of Fig. 2 has been omitted from Fig. 3, but it will be readily understood that there is a pair of contact elements 29 in front of each of the twenty simulated players provided with an articulated leg, and that the pairs of contacts for each team are in parallel.

The eleventh player of each team is a goalkeeper, and each goalkeeper 10a is movable back and forth in front of his goal A by conventional means (not shown) accessible to the person controlling the push button switch for that team.

In operation, insertion of a coin will complete the circuits connecting the coils under each of the two teams. Assuming the ball 13 to be adjacent the foot of a simulated player above one of the coils 36-45, the person playing that team will close push button switch 35, thus making that simulated player kick the ball, having noted that the lamp 28 for his team is lit. Assuming that ball 13 comes to rest adjacent a simulated player of the opposite team, the lamp 28 of that team will be lit, and the person playing that team may then close push button switch 46. This will actuate coils 47-56, causing the simulated player to kick the ball. When a goal is made, ball 13 will come to rest in juxtaposition with the armature of either coil or 61. Upon closing of either one of switches 58 and 59, the circuit will be completed through coils 60 and 61, and the ball 13 ejected from the goal and returned to the playing field.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A simulated soccer game apparatus comprisng an undulated game board simulating a soccer field, said board having pockets therein, two teams of simulated players on said board, each player being adjacent a pocket and having an articulated leg, a slot in said field underlying said leg, an anvil extending from the leg through said slot, a solenoid for striking said anvil and moving each of said articulated legs, all the solenoids for each team being connected into a single circuit including a manually operated switch, said switch in each circuit being positioned on the board remote from the pockets, whereby upon actuation of the switch in each circuit by the user of the game apparatus, the legs of the players of the corresponding team will be moved to kick a ball lodged in any one of said pockets; a goal ,ior each team adapted to receive a ball, solenoid-actuated ejecting means for each goal, and circuits for actuating said ejecting means each including a switch.

2. In a game apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said circuits are connected in parallel with a source of energy, whereby said ejecting means will be actuated to eject a ball from either of said goals upon closing of either one of said switches. I

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

